World Governments Admit Efforts so Far “Too Little” but Ignore
Scientists’ Call for Urgent Measures
The Hague, Netherlands/Washington, D.C., April 19,
2002 – After intense discussions, environment ministers
from around the world who had gathered in The Hague, Netherlands
for the Conference on Biodiversity, walked away with few
resolutions to preserve the ancient forests. The world governments
represented at the conference, which included the United States,
France, Germany, and Russia ignored the strong recommendations of
their own panel of scientists, the Subsidiary Body of Scientific,
Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA). The SBSTTA stressed
the need to “urgently prioritize biodiversity conservation efforts
on the most endangered and environmentally significant forest
ecosystems and species in particular (ancient) forests.”
This conference marks the first time since the Rio Earth Summit
in 1992 that world governments discussed the fate of the world’s
last ancient forests. Greenpeace attended the conference as an
observer.
“Greenpeace attended this conference with high hopes to reverse
the trend of ancient forest destruction,” said Gudrun Henne of
Greenpeace. “Environment ministers failed to match the scale and
urgency of the forest crisis and will not be able to justify this
failure to future generations who may live to see the last of the
world’s ancient forests destroyed.”
Some countries such as France, Germany and Russia supported
action to stop the ongoing destruction while Brazil, Canada and
Malaysia spent two weeks watering down the action program and
blocking progress. The Environment Ministers represented at the
Conference on Biodiversity failed to:
- Stop further industrial activists in intact ancient forests
until responsible plans for the forest conversation and sustainable
use are agreed. - Ensure that timber and other forest products are produced and
traded in a legal and ecologically responsible way. - Commit to minimal funds to pay for forest conversation and
sustainable use.
“Ancient forests house up to 80 percent of the world’s
terrestrial biodiversity,” said Scott Paul, Greenpeace Forests
Campaigner in the United States. “During the 12 days that the
delegates met to discuss the fate of the ancient forests another
360,000 hectares of ancient forests were lost-that’s an area the
size of over half a million football fields.”
CONTACT:
Gina Sanchez 011-31 627 000 064 (the
Hague)
Carol Gregory: 202-319-2472 (Washington, D.C.)
